Book Review: The Naturals By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals
By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive. 

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Check Out The Other Books In This Series:

(Linked to my review)

My Review:

* eARC was provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review

I had very high expectations from this novel considering that I've read and LOVED Mrs. Barnes Raised By Wolves Series. The book didn't disappoint! Sure it has a love triangle and, like always, I hated one of them and have a team picked (Team Dean!! All the way!!). 

What drew me into the story was the plot in itself since it reminded me a lot of the Darkest Powers Trilogy By Kelley Armstrong. Don't get me wrong, it's not a copy. It's actually the opposite while still keeping me entertained. I just loved that!

Cassie didn't know where she fit in the world. With a marine father and a mother who met a fatal end early on in her life, she was just drifting. She was always on the outside looking in, especially with the abilities her mother developed in her. With luck (or, some may want to call it misfortune) the FBI invites her to a "Program" and that's when life gets interesting.

I loved Lia as a character. She was spunky, not afraid of the consequences and just plain awesome. Also, her fashion sense is to die for. Though I wouldn't want to live with someone with that personality, she's scary sometimes...

Sloane was the crazy, statistics guru in the house. If you needed help with your math homework, she's your girl. She was also very nice and loved exploding things.

Michael was the all around nice, wholesome american guy. He has the charm, walk and attitude of "high school nobility" (Cassie's saying, not mine). He's all that and much more, but in the beginning what made me not like him was how he came off to Cassie. Always guarded, never straightforward with answers. That really rubbed me the wrong way.

DEAN!! (Notice how I screamed that out and used bold lettering to emphasize my love -wink-). I have a soft spot for tortured souls, who are really good deep down and that deserve a new start. That's exactly what Dean was. Beneath all that ruff exterior, lives a caring, frightened boy who's afraid to become like his father. Nuff said.

Fortunately, I didn't guess who the culprit was in the end. YAY! BUT I was left with a cliffhanger. Come on! Sure, this cliffhanger was rather small compared to other books, but still. Really? You just had to throw it in there, didn't you?

Favorite Quotes:

"No expectations, no disappointments."

"A lot has happened. You have a lot to figure out. I can be a patient man, Colorado. A devastatingly handsome, roguishly scarred, heartbreakingly courageous, patient man."

"I could instinctively understand other people - their personalities, their beliefs, their desires - but when it came to what, I was just like anyone else, muddled and confused and stumbling through."

My Rating: